For the Leader. A Psalm of David. Thanksgiving for deliverance from the miry pit, giving voice to a new song and a heart given wholly to Hashem's will, ending in a plea for continued help.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Verse structure: 3 words, 14 letters. The shortest word is "of·David" (לְדָוִ֥ד, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·the·leader" (לַ֝מְנַצֵּ֗חַ, 5 letters). 3 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·David" (root דוד, 89x in Psalms); "for·the·leader" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms); "a·psalm" (root מזמור, 57x in Psalms). Full calculation: לַ֝מְנַצֵּ֗חַ [for·the·leader] (218) + לְדָוִ֥ד [of·David] (44) + מִזְמֽוֹר [a·psalm] (293) = 555.
Radak
"For the leader, a psalm of David" — This psalm too is in the same vein as the two psalms preceding it; the pious man who was afflicted recites it after his recovery. He gives praise to Hashem, blessed be He, and says:
Malbim
"For the leader" — He composed this psalm about a certain miracle that happened to him at the time he fled from his enemies; he brought thanksgiving offerings to thank Hashem for His kindness in the miracle that happened to him, and then he proclaimed the praise of Hashem, His might, and His wonders, and the kindness of Hashem toward those who trust in Him, together with a prayer for salvation and rescue in the future.
I waited patiently for Hashem; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.
verse value 1941
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "waiting" (קַוֺּ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·waited" (קִוִּ֣יתִי, 5 letters). The root קוה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "to·me" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "and·He·heard" (root שמע, 76x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: קַוֺּ֣ה [waiting] (111) + קִוִּ֣יתִי [I·waited] (526) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וַיֵּ֥ט [and·He·inclined] (25) + אֵ֝לַ֗י [to·me] (41) + וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע [and·He·heard] (426) + שַׁוְעָתִֽי [my·cry] (786) = 1941.
Rashi
"I have greatly hoped for the Lord" — in Egypt, and this psalm is meant for all Israel. "and He extended to me" — His ear.
Ibn Ezra
'I waited, I waited' [קוה קויתי] — 'kavoh' is a form used in the manner of intensification, like 'Hashem has sorely chastened me' (Psalm 118:18). 'And He inclined to me' — because He is the Dweller on high, who resides in the heavens.
Radak
"I waited patiently for Hashem, and He inclined to me, and heard my cry" — just as I hoped in Him that He would incline His ear to my prayer and hear my cry, so He did. And the meaning of "and He inclined to me" is to say: He was near to me, as it is written (Psalms 145:18): "Hashem is near to all who call upon Him."
Malbim
"I waited patiently" — Because I waited continually for Hashem, therefore "He inclined to me and heard my cry." This means that sometimes it is depicted that Hashem hears the prayer from on high, and this is at a time when He saves by way of nature, through an intermediary; and sometimes it is depicted that He comes down below and hears the prayer — hence it says "He inclined to me," which is at a time when He saves by way of a providential miracle, not through an intermediary but by His own hand, literally. So too this salvation was through Hashem Himself.
He brought me up also out of the tumultuous pit, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock, He established my goings.
verse value 2216
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "from·the·pit·of" (מִבּ֥וֹר, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·He·brought·me·up" (וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·He·brought·me·up" (וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי), "from·the·pit·of" (מִבּ֥וֹר), "the·mire" (הַיָּ֫וֵ֥ן). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·steps" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "and·He·set" (root קום, 52x in Psalms); "He·established" (root כון, 52x in Psalms). First appearance of the root שאון ("roar") in Psalms. Full calculation: וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי [and·He·brought·me·up] (176) + מִבּ֥וֹר [from·the·pit·of] (248) + שָׁאוֹן֮ [roar] (357) + מִטִּ֢יט [from·the·mud·of] (68) + הַיָּ֫וֵ֥ן [the·mire] (71) + וַיָּ֖קֶם [and·He·set] (156) + עַל־סֶ֥לַע [upon·a·rock] (260) + רַגְלַ֗י [my·feet] (243) + כּוֹנֵ֥ן [He·established] (126) + אֲשֻׁרָֽי [my·steps] (511) = 2216.
Rashi
"out of the roaring pit" — From the imprisonment of Egypt and from the roaring of their tumult. "from the thick mire" — From the sea. היון is an expression of mud, fanyas in Old French (fange in modern French), slime. "He established" — Heb. כונן, He prepared my steps.
Ibn Ezra
'He brought me up also' — by way of metaphor, for I was in my lowliness amid the troubles that surrounded me — the enemies. Some say: 'sha'on' [tumultuous roar] is from the root of 'sho'ah' [desolation]. But what is correct: [it means] the roar of many waters, or mire; and the ה of 'ha-yaven' [the mire] refers back [to something previously stated], in the manner of 'et yom ha-shevi'i' [the seventh day]; and it has no cognate except in 'the mire of the deep' (Psalm 69:3) — turbid water and thick mud. And he mentioned 'rock' [סלע] as opposed to 'pit' [בור]. 'And He established my steps' — to go up onto the rock.
Radak
"He brought me up also out of the tumultuous pit" — the "pit" is a metaphor for illnesses: just as one who falls into a pit fears he will drown in its waters or in the mud that is in it, so the sick man fears he will die of his illness. And the meaning of "out of the tumultuous pit" is: a pit that has much water in it, as in "like the roar of mighty waters" (Isaiah 17:12). And the meaning of "out of the miry clay" — a pit that has much mire in it. And the construct joining of "mire" to "clay" is like the construct joining in "dust of the ground" (Daniel 12:2); "dust of the earth" (Amos 2:7; Job 14:19) — meaning that it contains every kind of mire, both thick and thin. "and He set my feet upon a rock" — as opposed to the "tumultuous pit." "He established my goings" — when I came up out of the pit, my heels did not slip, meaning: I did not fall from one illness into another.
Metzudat David
"Out of the miry clay" — in which one who stands sinks and goes down. "Upon a rock" — in an exposed and firm place. "He established my steps" — He prepared my feet to stand in their place and sink no more.
Metzudat Zion
'The tumultuous pit' (sha'on) — darkness, as in 'hatred is covered by deceit' (Proverbs 27). 'The miry clay' (yaven) — the muck at the bottom of the water; similarly, 'I sink in deep mire' (below, Psalm 69). 'My goings' (ashurai) — my feet/legs.
Malbim
"And He brought me up" — from where I had been sinking "in a tumultuous pit," meaning, full of roaring, raging waters; and I was also sinking there "in miry clay," which is sticky mud, from which one who falls into it cannot climb out. And not only that, but He set my feet upon a rock and a stronghold, a place my enemies could not reach; He also "established my steps," so that they would be firmly set there.
And He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God; many shall see, and fear, and shall trust in Hashem.
verse value 2723
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "in·my·mouth" (בְּפִ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·our·God" (לֵאלֹ֫הֵ֥ינוּ, 7 letters). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "to·our·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "shall·see" (root ראה, 100x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·fear', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתֵּ֬ן [and·He·put] (466) + בְּפִ֨י [in·my·mouth] (92) + שִׁ֥יר [song] (510) + חָדָשׁ֮ [new] (312) + תְּהִלָּ֢ה [praise] (440) + לֵאלֹ֫הֵ֥ינוּ [to·our·God] (132) + יִרְא֣וּ [shall·see] (217) + רַבִּ֣ים [many] (252) + וְיִירָ֑אוּ [and·fear] (233) + וְ֝יִבְטְח֗וּ [and·trust] (41) + בַּיהֹוָֽה [in·Hashem] (28) = 2723.
Rashi
"a new song" — The song of the sea.
Ibn Ezra
'And He put' — the reason [it says] 'to our God' [לאלהינו] in the plural is because 'many shall see, and fear' [follows].
Radak
"And He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God" — when He saved me, I composed a new song for Him, and He put it in my mouth, because He did me a kindness for which I am obligated to thank Him. Or the meaning of "and He has put" is: that He would help me with a song that would come from my mouth — a song of good words, in the manner of the holy spirit (i.e., prophetic inspiration). And the point of "new" is to make known that a person is obligated to compose a new song and praise for every miracle that God performs for him. And the point of "our God," in the plural, is that all who fear Him and are devoted to Him should praise and give thanks together with him. "many shall see, and fear, and shall trust in Hashem" — and also many others, who until this day had not been fearers of God, blessed be He, when they saw what He did for me, returned to fearing Him and trusting in Him, and will say:
Metzudat David
"Many shall see" — When they see [this] through the providence of Hashem, they will fear Him and trust in Him.
Malbim
"And He put a new song in my mouth" — for the song that people sing to Hashem over a natural salvation is an old song, because nature was created and has existed for a long time already; but a miraculous salvation is a new act, and the song sung about it is a new song. And he explains: "praise to our God" — the name Elohim, when it comes with a possessive suffix referring to Israel, indicates His particular providence and the attachment and bond that He has with those who fear Him and are mindful of His name. "Many shall see, and fear" — meaning that through His having saved me by way of a miracle, three things will be gained. (1) From the conduct of nature people learn only to give honor to His name insofar as He is the Creator of all, but fear cannot endure in the soul except through knowing that it is in His power to change nature and do whatever He desires — for then they will fear His punishment and His reward. Hence it says "shall see, and fear." (2) The recognition of Him that people gain through His deeds that are ordered according to nature is attained only by the wise who investigate by intellect and inquiry; but through a miracle, "many" will see, for this they see with the eye, not with the intellect alone — and "many" also, in that even the common people who are not learned will see the miracle with their own eyes and recognize the power of Hashem. (3) The conduct of nature does not produce trust in Him — on the contrary, through it people exert themselves to choose natural means by which they may succeed and be helped, and they trust in the means they prepare for themselves. But when they see that the eye of Hashem is upon those who fear Him by way of a miracle, they will trust in Hashem, and will not trust in nature, nor in their own strength, the might of their hand, and their wisdom.
Happy is the man who has made Hashem his trust, and has not turned to the arrogant, nor to such as fall away treacherously.
verse value 2467
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "a·lie" (כָזָֽב, 3 letters) and the longest is "happiness·of·the·man" (אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הַגֶּ֗בֶר, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "happiness·of·the·man" (אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הַגֶּ֗בֶר), "his·trust" (מִבְטַח֑וֹ), "and·not·turned" (וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "happiness·of·the·man" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "who·has·made" (root שים, 33x in Psalms). First appearance of the root מבטח ("his·trust") in Psalms. First appearance of the root רהב ("to·the·arrogant") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·trust', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הַגֶּ֗בֶר [happiness·of·the·man] (721) + אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם [who·has·made] (841) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + מִבְטַח֑וֹ [his·trust] (65) + וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה [and·not·turned] (172) + אֶל־רְ֝הָבִ֗ים [to·the·arrogant] (288) + וְשָׂטֵ֥י [and·falling·away·to] (325) + כָזָֽב [a·lie] (29) = 2467.
Rashi
"the haughty" — Heb. רהבים, an expression of haughtiness, as (in Isa. 3:5): “they shall behave haughtily (ירהבו), the youth”; (Song 6:5) “for they have made me haughty (הרהבותי).” "and those who turn to falsehood" — Those who turn from the straight way to follow the falsehood of pagan deities; e tornons in Old French, and those who turn away; in modern French, et se tournant.
Ibn Ezra
'Happy' — then they will speak of 'the arrogant/haughty ones' [רהבים], possessors of strength, [as not turning] to them for help, like 'who hewed Rahab' (Isaiah 51:9). 'And such as fall away' [ושטי] — the Targum [renders it]: 'turning aside.'
Radak
"Happy is the man who has made Hashem his trust" — for he has placed his trust in Hashem alone, "and has not turned to the arrogant, nor to such as fall away treacherously" — he has not turned to men of power and pride, and has not turned to men who "fall away treacherously," meaning that they incline toward the way of falsehood, like diviners, and do not trust in the true God. "Rehavim" (the arrogant) is a noun-adjective on the pattern of "resha'im" (the wicked). "Shatei" is related to the word in "if his wife go astray (tishteh)" (Numbers 5:12); and these are two different roots with a single meaning, for "shatei" here is from the root shin-vav-tet, on the pattern of "gerei veiti" (sojourners of my house) (Job 19:15), and "those who turn from transgression" (Isaiah 59:20). Whereas had it been from the root shin-tet-heh, the first letter of the verb would have carried a sheva, as with panim/penei, davim/davei, banim/benei, and kelim/kelei.
Metzudat David
"Happy" — and they will say, "Happy..." etc. "and has not turned" — to trust in them. "nor to such as fall away treacherously" — those who incline after vain and false imaginings.
Metzudat Zion
'The arrogant' (rehavim) — an expression of pride and self-assertion, as in 'the youth shall behave insolently against the elder' (Isaiah 3:5); and 'shatei' (fall away) — an expression of turning aside, as in 'let your heart not turn aside to her ways' (Proverbs 7:25).
Malbim
"Happy" — the happiness of the man consists in this, that "he has made Hashem his trust." This means: there is one who trusts in Hashem to save him by way of natural means — this man, even though he trusts in Hashem, Hashem is not his trust. That is, the thing through which he hopes to attain his security is not Hashem, for he trusts in Hashem that He will save him through his commerce or his own effort, which is his actual security, through which he hopes for help from Hashem — but Hashem is not his trust. Not so the man who makes no effort of his own at all, but makes Hashem also his trust — that is, he lets Hashem choose for him even the means of his salvation (as it is written, "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and Hashem is his trust," as explained there). "And has not turned to the arrogant" — meaning, he has not turned, alongside his trust in Hashem, to have his request fulfilled by way of natural matters, or through people who are "arrogant" and "such as fall away treacherously." Arrogance (rahav) is an elevation of spirit beyond one's actual power, and falsehood (kazav) is something that does not endure — and these are the two deficiencies present in trusting in man: that there is no substance in them, and no permanence, as stated elsewhere.
Many things You have done, O Hashem my God, even Your wonderful works, and Your thoughts toward us; there is none to be compared to You! If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be told.
verse value 4579
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "You" (אַתָּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Your·thoughts" (וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶ֗יךָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: nothing, to·You. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·Your·thoughts" (וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶ֗יךָ), "to·us" (אֵ֫לֵ֥ינוּ), "to·compare" (עֲרֹ֬ךְ). The root אל appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "my·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "and·let·me·speak" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·let·me·speak', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 2 words.
Rashi
"Your wonders and Your thoughts are for us" — You created Your world for us; You split the sea for us, and You thought for us to benefit us in our end [by keeping us] in the desert for forty years because of the Amorites, who cut down the trees and made their land desolate when they heard that Israel was coming out to go to inherit their land. "There is none to equal You" — We cannot compare any king or savior to You. The expression ערך is like (Lev. 27:12): “valuation (כערכך),” a prizjjr in Old French, to estimate, [a priser, in modern French]. "were I to tell and speak" — Were I to come and tell and speak, they would be too many to tell.
Ibn Ezra
'Many things' [רבות] — this is the new song [mentioned earlier]; and 'many' is an adjective modifying the word 'Your wonders,' in the manner of 'many' as in 'all the many peoples.' 'And Your thoughts' — Your decrees. 'Toward us' [אלינו] — on our behalf; or it is according to its plain sense, and it says 'toward us' to correspond to '[our] God' [אלהינו]. 'There is none to be compared' — man has no capacity to compare them to You, and the end [of the verse] proves it. And some say: that it is like 'shall be compared to Hashem' (Psalm 89:7); and if so, '[if I would declare and speak of them,] they are more than can be numbered' refers back to 'Your wonders.'
Radak
"Many things You have done" — many things like this You have done for me. "O Hashem my God, even Your wonderful works, and Your thoughts toward us" — the "wonderful works" occur at the time of the deed itself, while the "thoughts" occur before the deed. And he speaks of the Creator, blessed be He, as though He had planned before the deed, for "the Torah speaks in the language of men" (Berakhot 31b, and elsewhere), and likewise: "Behold, I ... and I plan against you a plan" (Jeremiah 18:11). And he said "toward us," meaning: toward him and toward all who wait for His kindness. "there is none to be compared to You" — there is nothing to compare or set against You among all the wonderful works that You have done for us, for they are too many to be arranged in order or counted, as it says: "if I would declare and speak of them" — meaning: "I would declare and speak of" the wonderful works, "they are too many to be counted" — or [the meaning of] "there is none to be compared" is like: "There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, and there are no works like Yours" (Psalms 86:8); "for who in the skies can be compared to Hashem, who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to Hashem" (ibid. 89:7).
Metzudat David
"Many things You have done" — You have done many wonders for our sake. "there is none to be compared" — there is no one to compare or liken to You. "If I would declare" — If I said, "I will tell of Your wonders," I would not be able to, for they are too many to recount.
Metzudat Zion
'Many' (atzmu) — an expression of multitude.
Malbim
"Many things" — After this introduction recounting the miracle, he expresses the view that the thanksgiving offering he now brings to thank Hashem for His kindness, he does not bring on account of the Torah's obligation alone — for although he is obligated by the Torah to bring a thanksgiving offering for a miracle, he brings it on account of the prompting of the intellect, since the prompting of the intellect is superior to the prompting of the Torah: this comes by way of recognition and the voluntary offering of the soul and the heart, unlike one who acts on account of the prompting of the Torah, which comes by way of compulsion — as is stated in Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart). And he explains through this that the commandments of the Torah have their root in man's intellect and the nature of his soul, to the point that even had we not been commanded concerning them by Hashem, the soul of the intelligent person would understand them on its own, and find them written on the walls of his heart — like the matter of the thanksgiving offering: even had the Torah not commanded a person to bring an offering for a miracle, the soul would volunteer this on its own, according to its own nature, for it is set in the nature of man that he strive to return thanks to those who do good to him. And if a person reflects in his heart on the many good things and the kindnesses that Hashem has bestowed upon him according to His mercy and the abundance of His kindnesses, he will be aroused of his own accord to bring thanks to Hashem — just as Cain and Abel brought an offering to Hashem even though they had not been commanded to do so, out of the prompting of their intellect and the willingness of their heart. So the thanksgiving offering that he brings now, he does not bring because he found it written so in the book of the Torah of God, written on a scroll and in ink, but rather because he found it written so in the book of God that is engraved on the tablet of his heart, and in his intellect, and in his conscience. And on this basis he said: behold, "Many things You have done, O Hashem my God" — that is, the works of God that He performed during the six days of Creation, which are very many; and likewise, "Your wonders and Your thoughts toward us" — these are the miracles and wonders that Hashem renews in every generation for the sake of Israel. "Were I to declare and speak of them, they would be too many to recount" — if I wished to tell and speak of them, I would not be able to recount them, from their great abundance, whether the works of nature or the wonders. (And what it says, "there is none to be compared to You," is a parenthetical remark, mentioned in passing, that these two kinds of works — the works of nature and the wonders — have no comparison or relation to You, for they are "works" and "wonders" only relative to us, not relative to You; for according to Your limitless greatness they are as nothing before You, since they are finite, and are only "great things" and "wonders" relative to us.)
Sacrifice and meal-offering You have no delight in; my ears You have opened; burnt-offering and sin-offering You have not required.
verse value 2415
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִּ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·You·have·delighted·in" (לֹֽא־חָפַ֗צְתָּ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·meal-offering" (וּמִנְחָ֨ה), "not·You·have·delighted·in" (לֹֽא־חָפַ֗צְתָּ), "You·have·dug" (כָּרִ֣יתָ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "to·me" (root לי, 68x in Psalms); "ears" (root אזן, 36x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: זֶ֤בַח [sacrifice] (17) + וּמִנְחָ֨ה [and·meal-offering] (109) + לֹֽא־חָפַ֗צְתָּ [not·You·have·delighted·in] (609) + אׇ֭זְנַיִם [ears] (108) + כָּרִ֣יתָ [You·have·dug] (630) + לִּ֑י [to·me] (40) + עוֹלָ֥ה [burnt-offering] (111) + וַ֝חֲטָאָ֗ה [and·sin-offering] (29) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + שָׁאָֽלְתָּ [You·have·required] (731) = 2415.
Rashi
"You desired neither sacrifice nor meal offering" — on the day of the giving of the Torah, as the matter that is stated (in Exod. 19:5): “And now, if you will earnestly hearken to My voice, etc.,” and likewise (in Jer. 7:22) Scripture states: “For neither did I speak with your forefathers nor did I command them, etc., concerning a burnt offering or a sacrifice.” I said, (Lev. 1:2) “If...from among you,” but I did not require it as an obligation to burden you. The daily sacrifices and the additional sacrifices are only to bring Me pleasure, that I ordained and My will was performed, but it is a small matter. "You dug ears for me" — saying, “Hearken to My voice.” "You dug" — You made them hollow [enabling me] to hear.
Ibn Ezra
'Sacrifice' [זבח] — peace-offerings. 'And meal-offering' [מנחה] — [prepared] in a pan or on a griddle. And the sense is: Your thoughts are to do good to us, not for the sake of repayment; and behold, after 'sacrifice and meal-offering' he mentions 'burnt-offering and sin-offering.' Rabbi Moshe said: the word 'You did not desire' serves for another [clause as well], and the sense is: 'You did not let me hear such a thing when You spoke with me at Mount Sinai.' But what is correct in my view: You did not request sacrifice, but rather 'You dug ears for me' so that I would listen to Your voice, like 'behold, to obey is better than sacrifice' (1 Samuel 15:22).
Radak
"Sacrifice and meal-offering You have no delight in; my ears You have opened; burnt-offering and sin-offering You have not required" — the "sacrifice" is the peace-offering, and the "meal-offering" is fine flour mixed with oil, as it is written (Leviticus 3:1; 2:1-16). The "burnt-offering" comes to atone for positive commandments that one transgressed, and the "sin-offering" is the sin-offering sacrifice, as it is written (ibid. 1:3-17; 4:2-12). Now he said "You have no delight in" and "You have not required"; and it is said in Jeremiah (7:22): "For I did not speak with your fathers, nor command them, on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offering or sacrifice" — yet we find in the Torah (Numbers 28:2-3) that there is a commandment concerning the daily offerings, to offer them every day! The answer to this question is: that the first of God's commandments to Israel was only that they should heed His voice. And so it says at Marah (Exodus 15:26): "If you diligently heed the voice of Hashem your God, and do what is right in His eyes..." And when they began to sin, He commanded them concerning sacrifices — concerning the sacrifices of individuals and concerning the sacrifices of the community. Concerning the sacrifices of individuals, He commanded that the sinners themselves should offer them; and concerning the sacrifices of the community, He commanded that they be daily offerings every day, because it is impossible that there should not be, among all of Israel, many who sin every day, and many among them who do not know what they themselves are obligated to offer — so the communal sacrifices would serve as atonement for them when they turn back from their sin. And had Israel not sinned in the wilderness, God, blessed be He, would not have commanded them concerning sacrifices at all, for originally He had not commanded them about them, as Jeremiah said (7:23) [Editor's note: in our text this is an entirely different verse; perhaps an eye-skip misled Rabbeinu the author, who hastily assumed that verse 22 and verse 23 are a single verse] — at the end of that verse: "But this thing I commanded them, saying: Heed My voice." And likewise in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-18), which encompass the whole Torah, there is no mention of sacrifices in them. And if a man does not sin, he has no need of a sacrifice, and he is better before Hashem, blessed be He, than one who sins and then offers a sacrifice, as Samuel said (I Samuel 15:22): "Does Hashem delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as much as in heeding the voice of Hashem? Behold, to heed is better than sacrifice!" And so he says in this psalm: "Sacrifice and meal-offering You have no delight in ... burnt-offering and sin-offering You have not required. My ears You have opened" — meaning: You opened my ears for me, so that I would heed Your voice. Also, in repayment for the kindnesses You did for me, You did not ask of me a burnt-offering and a meal-offering, but rather that I do Your will — and so I desired. "Karita" (You have opened, lit. dug) is from "if a man digs (yichreh) a pit" (Exodus 21:33).
Metzudat David
"You have no delight in" — You do not desire that man should sin and then bring an offering. "my ears You have opened" — to hear the words of the Torah, which is better in Your eyes than sacrifice; and so it says, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice" (I Samuel 15).
Metzudat Zion
'You have opened' (karita) — You have dug, as in 'he dug a pit' (above, Psalm 7). 'You have required' (sha'alta) — You have requested.
Malbim
"Sacrifice" — meaning, since Your natural works and Your providential wonders are too many to recount, reason therefore dictates that even "if You did not desire sacrifice and meal-offering" — even if You did not desire that sacrifice and meal-offering be offered to You, which "my ears You have opened" — that is, which You made known to my ears in Your Torah, that I should bring them upon Your altar for acceptance — even if You did not desire them — and even "if You did not require burnt-offering and sin-offering," and had not commanded concerning the sacrifices.
Then I said: 'Lo, I have come with the roll of a book which is prescribed for me;
verse value 2485
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "then" (אָ֣ז, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·the·roll·of·a·book" (בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵ֝֗פֶר, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "behold·I·have·come" (הִנֵּה־בָ֑אתִי), "in·the·roll·of·a·book" (בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵ֝֗פֶר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "about·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "I·said" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms); "behold·I·have·come" (root בוא, 79x in Psalms). First appearance of the root כתב ("written") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'behold·I·have·come', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אָ֣ז [then] (8) + אָ֭מַרְתִּי [I·said] (651) + הִנֵּה־בָ֑אתִי [behold·I·have·come] (473) + בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵ֝֗פֶר [in·the·roll·of·a·book] (815) + כָּת֥וּב [written] (428) + עָלָֽי [about·me] (110) = 2485.
Rashi
"Then" — at the time of the giving of the Torah, behold I came to You to be bound in Your covenant. (Exod. 24:7): “We will do and hear,” and this matter is written as testimony concerning me in the scroll of the book, i.e., in the Law of Moses.
Ibn Ezra
'Then' — Rabbi Marinus said: David speaks on behalf of the Congregation of Israel, and this alludes to the words of our forefathers at Sinai: 'we will do and we will hear' (Exodus 24:7). But what is correct in my view: he says this concerning his own soul, for at the time of his distress he vowed a vow [and] commanded that it be written that he would sing a new song, and now I have come to fulfill the vow. And what is correct is that the vow is to perform [it] — 'and this is all my desire.'
Radak
"Then" — when I was healed from my illness and rescued from my troubles. "I said" — in my heart, that You do not desire sacrifice or meal-offering, but rather that I do what You commanded me. "Behold, I have come" — before You. "With a scroll of a book it is written concerning me" — and concerning each and every one of Your people. "Behold, I have come" to fulfill everything that "is written concerning me," and "the scroll of a book" is the book of the Torah. He said "written" [in the masculine form], even though he had mentioned "scroll" [a feminine noun], because its meaning refers back to "book," which is a masculine noun; and so too: "this book of the Torah" (Deuteronomy 31:26, and elsewhere), and also: "in this book of the Torah" (ibid. 28:61).
Metzudat David
"Then" — At the time of the giving of the Torah, You said: "Lo, I have come" — to receive it, "with the roll of a book" — as is written concerning me in the scroll of the book, in the Torah, that I then said, "We will do and we will hear."
Metzudat Zion
'With the roll' (bimgillat) — an expression of a scroll/letter, as in 'a flying scroll' (Zechariah 5).
Malbim
"Then I said" — meaning: then, even if You had not commanded the offerings in the book of the Torah, I would have said, "Behold, I have come with the scroll of a book written concerning me" — meaning: then, even though I would not have found this obligation in the bringing of offerings in the book of the Torah, I would have found this obligation written in another book, namely the book written on the tablet of my heart, and I would have come to offer the sacrifice by means of the scroll of a book that is written upon me myself — that is, I would have found this obligation on the side of my intellect and on the side of the feeling of my soul, for the intellect and the nature of man obligate me to return thanks to my benefactor, and that I should thank Hashem for His kindness and offer a thanksgiving sacrifice for His goodness and His kindnesses.
I delight to do Your will, O my God; indeed, Your law is in my inmost parts.'
verse value 3386
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "my·inward·parts" (מֵעָֽי, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·do·Your·will" (לַ֥עֲשׂוֹת־רְצוֹנְךָ֣, 10 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "to·do·Your·will" (לַ֥עֲשׂוֹת־רְצוֹנְךָ֣). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "and·Your·law" (root תורה, 36x in Psalms); "I·delight" (root חפץ, 27x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·delight', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: לַ֥עֲשׂוֹת־רְצוֹנְךָ֣ [to·do·Your·will] (1172) + אֱלֹהַ֣י [my·God] (46) + חָפָ֑צְתִּי [I·delight] (588) + וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗ [and·Your·law] (1032) + בְּת֣וֹךְ [in·the·midst·of] (428) + מֵעָֽי [my·inward·parts] (120) = 3386.
Rashi
"and [to have] Your law within my innards" — Even my food is according to Your law; I ate neither unclean beasts nor untithed produce.
Ibn Ezra
'And Your law is within my inmost parts' — [meaning] in secret, in the manner of 'eat this scroll' (Ezekiel 3:1).
Radak
"To do Your will, my God, I have desired" — my desire and my will is to do Your will. "And Your law is within my inward parts" — "within" my heart, for the heart is included among the "inward parts." And he said "within my inward parts," meaning, that my thought does not depart from it.
Metzudat David
"I delight to do" — And just as I accepted it upon myself, so I desired to fulfill it; and Your Torah is kept safe in my heart, which is among the inward parts.
Malbim
"To do" — for after "I delighted to do Your will," meaning that I desire on my own to do something that is pleasing to You, and I am prepared by my very nature to show You a sign that I recognize [Your] goodness, and it is impossible to show this in practice except through some act customarily done among people, whereby a person volunteers to bring to the one who has done good to him a gift, a tribute, and a thanksgiving-offering. If so, "and Your law is within my inward parts" — I have no need to seek Your law in a book written on parchment with ink and a human pen, for this law of bringing a thanksgiving-offering is "written within my inward parts" — meaning that it is found within me, in my inner being and my intellect.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation, Lo, I did not refrain my lips; O Hashem, You know.
verse value 3294
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3294 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "great" (רָ֗ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·have·preached" (בִּשַּׂ֤רְתִּי, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "I·have·preached" (בִּשַּׂ֤רְתִּי), "I·held·back" (אֶכְלָ֑א). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms). First appearance of the root כלא ("I·held·back") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·held·back', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּשַּׂ֤רְתִּי [I·have·preached] (912) + צֶ֨דֶק [justice] (194) + בְּקָ֘הָ֤ל [in·the·congregation] (137) + רָ֗ב [great] (202) + הִנֵּ֣ה [behold] (60) + שְׂ֭פָתַי [my·lips] (790) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + אֶכְלָ֑א [I·held·back] (52) + יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + אַתָּ֥ה [You] (406) + יָדָֽעְתָּ [You·know] (484) = 3294.
Rashi
"I brought tidings of righteousness" — The song by the sea, the song by the well (Num. 21:17-20), and the song of Deborah (Jud. 5). "I will not withhold" — Heb. אכלא, I will not withhold, an expression of (Gen. 8:2): “And the rain was restrained (ויכלא).”
Ibn Ezra
'I have proclaimed righteousness' [בשרתי צדק] — and the word 'bisarti' [I have proclaimed] is related to [the word] 'flesh' [בשר], [used] to tell something new, good or bad, like 'and the messenger answered' (1 Samuel 4:17).
Radak
"I have proclaimed righteousness" — there is another thing "for me to do" besides fulfilling the commandments, namely: to relate the kindnesses that You did with me. And so I did, and "I proclaimed" the "righteousness" that You did with me. "In the great assembly" — so that many would hear and give thanks to Your name. And one who comes to relate news, whether good or bad, is called a "proclaimer" [mevaser] — mostly with regard to good news, but also with regard to bad, as in: "And the messenger [ha-mevaser] answered" (I Samuel 4:17). And behold, he is "in the great assembly" to relate the new kindnesses that God, may He be blessed, did with him; and behold he is "proclaiming," therefore he said, "I proclaimed." "Behold, I have not restrained my lips" — I do not withhold "my lips" from continually relating "Your righteousness." "Hashem, You know" — what I relate with "my lips," many know; but what my heart meditates concerning "Your righteousness," "You know," and no one else besides You. And this is what he says next:
Metzudat David
"I have preached" — I proclaimed to the many the words of the Torah, and I did not withhold my lips from proclaiming; and behold, You, Hashem, know that it is as I say.
Metzudat Zion
'I have preached' (bisarti) — an expression of announcing news to the many. 'I refrain' (ekhla) — I withhold, as in 'and the rain was withheld' (Genesis 8).
Malbim
"I have proclaimed" — after he had proposed to say that the sacrifice he brings, he does not bring it out of the compulsion of the Torah but out of the will of his intellect and his soul, which volunteers it to Hashem, he now says that even his telling of this miracle before a great assembly should not be reckoned to him as pride and self-exaltation, as though his intention were to boast that he did righteousness and that on this account Hashem helped him (as it says, "I waited patiently for Hashem, and He inclined unto me") — for it is fitting for the wholehearted to conceal their righteousness and not boast of it before the multitudes, since [boasting] then shows that their righteousness is not for the sake of Hashem but only for the sake of boasting. Concerning this he says that as for what "I have proclaimed righteousness" (that is, my righteousness) "in the great assembly, behold, I did not restrain my lips" — I have no need to restrain my lips from this, for "Hashem, You know" the truth, that my intention is not to boast, but rather that "I did not conceal Your righteousness within my heart" — I did not wish to conceal Your righteousness, for my intention was that everyone should know Your righteousness. "I spoke of Your faithfulness and Your salvation" — in that I spoke of Your salvation, I thereby spoke of Your faithfulness, for through hearing how You save those who take refuge [in You], people will thereby believe in You and recognize that You watch over my righteousness. Therefore "I did not hide Your kindness and Your truth from the great assembly" — since my intention is not to boast, but that the Name of Heaven be sanctified thereby, and that many should see and fear and trust and believe in Hashem. Therefore I ask, "You, Hashem, do not withhold Your mercies from me" — and reckon this to me as a merit. Now, Hashem saves either on account of mercy, upon seeing the poor, crushed person and his suffering, or on account of kindness, or on account of truth. Kindness is what Hashem does without any merit or prior promise on the person's part; truth is what Hashem does by virtue of merit or by virtue of a promise — such as with David, whom Hashem had promised through Samuel, at the time he anointed him king, that He would always save him. Concerning mercy he says, "do not withhold Your mercies from me" — that is, at a time of distress when I am in need of mercy; but "Your kindness and Your truth shall always preserve me" — even when it is not a time of distress.
I have not hid Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your mercy and Your truth from the great congregation.
verse value 5384
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "great" (רָֽב, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·I·have·hidden" (לֹֽא־כִסִּ֨יתִי, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·Your·salvation" (וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣), "not·I·have·concealed" (לֹא־כִחַ֥דְתִּי), "from·the·congregation" (לְקָהָ֥ל). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Your·mercy" (root חסד, 125x in Psalms); "I·have·declared" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms); "my·heart" (root לב, 74x in Psalms). First appearance of the root כחד ("not·I·have·concealed") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·have·declared', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: צִדְקָתְךָ֬ [Your·righteousness] (614) + לֹֽא־כִסִּ֨יתִי [not·I·have·hidden] (531) + בְּת֬וֹךְ [in·the·midst·of] (428) + לִבִּ֗י [my·heart] (42) + אֱמוּנָתְךָ֣ [Your·faithfulness] (517) + וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣ [and·Your·salvation] (1202) + אָמָ֑רְתִּי [I·have·declared] (651) + לֹא־כִחַ֥דְתִּי [not·I·have·concealed] (473) + חַסְדְּךָ֥ [Your·mercy] (92) + וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ [and·Your·truth] (467) + לְקָהָ֥ל [from·the·congregation] (165) + רָֽב [great] (202) = 5384.
Ibn Ezra
'Your righteousness' — corresponding to 'I have proclaimed righteousness' [v.10]; and behold, [this is] both openly and in secret.
Radak
"Your righteousness I have not hidden within my heart" — for if a person does not think and meditate upon it continually, behold he "hides" it and conceals it, and this is [the meaning of] "I have not hidden [it] within my heart." Or the interpretation of "Your righteousness I have not hidden within my heart" is: just as it is "within my heart," so I have told it to people, and "I have not hidden" it from them; and this is what he says: "Your faithfulness and Your salvation I have told" — that is, the "faithfulness" of God and "His salvation" toward His devoted ones, in that He fulfills for them His good promises. For "emunah" [faithfulness] is an expression of fulfillment, as in: "and your house shall be made sure [ve-ne'eman]" (II Samuel 7:16); "in a sure place [ne'eman]" (Isaiah 22:23), and others like them. And this is also what he says: "I have not concealed Your kindness and Your truth" — "the truth" is the fulfillment of the good that He promised, and "the kindness" is the excess of good beyond what He promised. And the word "to the assembly" is connected with "I have told," and not with "I have not concealed"; for if it were connected with "I have not concealed" it would say "from the assembly." And there are many words like this that connect with the more distant word rather than the nearer one, as we have written in the book Mikhlol, in its grammatical section. "Great" —
Metzudat David
"Your righteousness" — And the righteousness that You did with me, I did not hide in my heart from making known to the many. "I have not concealed" — I did not refrain from recounting Your kindness to the great assembly, in order to draw their hearts after You.
Metzudat Zion
'I have concealed' (kichadti) — I withheld, as in 'and did not withhold [it] from their fathers' (Job 15:18).
You, O Hashem, will not withhold Your compassions from me; let Your mercy and Your truth continually preserve me.
verse value 2711
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "You" (אַתָּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·You·will·withhold" (לֹֽא־תִכְלָ֣א, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "not·You·will·withhold" (לֹֽא־תִכְלָ֣א). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "Your·mercy" (root חסד, 125x in Psalms); "You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַתָּ֤ה [You] (406) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + לֹֽא־תִכְלָ֣א [not·You·will·withhold] (482) + רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ [Your·compassions] (278) + מִמֶּ֑נִּי [from·me] (140) + חַסְדְּךָ֥ [Your·mercy] (92) + וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ [and·Your·truth] (467) + תָּמִ֥יד [continually] (454) + יִצְּרֽוּנִי [let·them·preserve·me] (366) = 2711.
Rashi
"do not withhold Your mercies" — Heb. לא תכלא, do not withhold. "watch me" — Heb. יצרוני, watch me.
Ibn Ezra
'You, [O Hashem,] Your mercy and Your truth' — that I have recounted to the great assembly — they will preserve me from every foe.
Radak
"You, Hashem, will not withhold Your compassions from me; Your kindness and Your truth shall continually preserve me" — just as You saved me from this trouble, so may You save me from every trouble, and "You will not" withhold "Your compassions" "from me" when I need them, for "continually" I need "Your kindness and Your truth" to "preserve me," as he goes on to say:
Metzudat David
"You, O Hashem" — Therefore You too, Hashem, repay [me in kind], and do not withhold Your compassion from me. "and Your truth" — the truth of Your promise.
For innumerable evils have compassed me about, my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me.
verse value 5482
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·was·not·able" (וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣לְתִּי, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "have·surrounded·about·me" (אָפְפֽוּ־עָלַ֨י), "until·there·is·no" (עַד־אֵ֬ין), "have·overtaken·me" (הִשִּׂיג֣וּנִי). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "to·see" (root ראה, 100x in Psalms); "and·my·heart" (root לב, 74x in Psalms). First appearance of the root מספר ("number") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·see', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + אָפְפֽוּ־עָלַ֨י [have·surrounded·about·me] (277) + רָע֡וֹת [evils] (676) + עַד־אֵ֬ין [until·there·is·no] (135) + מִסְפָּ֗ר [number] (380) + הִשִּׂיג֣וּנִי [have·overtaken·me] (384) + עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי [my·iniquities] (536) + וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣לְתִּי [and·I·was·not·able] (507) + לִרְא֑וֹת [to·see] (637) + עָצְמ֥וּ [they·are·many] (206) + מִשַּׂעֲר֥וֹת [than·the·hairs·of] (1016) + רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י [my·head] (511) + וְלִבִּ֥י [and·my·heart] (48) + עֲזָבָֽנִי [has·forsaken·me] (139) = 5482.
Rashi
"have encompassed" — Heb. אפפו, have surrounded.
Ibn Ezra
'For' — the punishment and evil that comes upon a man is called 'avon' [iniquity], because it [the sin] was the cause of the evil's coming, like 'my punishment is greater [than I can bear]' (Genesis 4:13), 'and the punishment of the daughter of my people has grown greater' (Lamentations 4:6), 'if punishment should befall you' (1 Samuel 28:10). And likewise 'my iniquities have overtaken me, and I am not able to look up' — in the manner of 'and it covered the eye of the land' (Exodus 10:5) — because my iniquities are without number; or [alternatively], 'and I was not able to see' [refers to] the sight of the heart/mind, like 'and Jacob perceived' (Genesis 42:1). 'And my heart has forsaken me' — as if I remained without a heart.
Radak
"For evils beyond number have surrounded me" — "have surrounded" [afefu] means encompassed, as in: "For the breakers of death surrounded me [apefuni]" (II Samuel 22:5). For a human being is exposed to the mishaps of time and the world, and they are without "number," and a person ought to fear them, lest sin cause [them] (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 4a) — and even the pious, for "there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin" (Ecclesiastes 7:20), and mishaps do not befall a person except on account of iniquity (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 55a). Therefore he said: "My iniquities have overtaken me" — and in saying "have overtaken me," that is: they found me in the place of punishment, and I am not able to flee from them. "And I am not able to see; they are more numerous than the hairs of my head" — I am not able to see all "my iniquities," for they are many. And as for what he says: "And my heart has forsaken me" — [meaning] my strength, that is to say, my understanding "has forsaken me" from relating them, so many are they. And so it is fitting for every pious person, in his prayer before the great God, to magnify his iniquities and minimize his righteous deeds, saying that he is full of iniquities, and to seek atonement and mercy. Or the interpretation of "I am not able to see... and my heart has forsaken me" may be by way of hyperbole, as if to say: my eyes have grown dim, "and my heart" is not with me, from my fear on account of "my iniquities."
Metzudat David
"have overtaken me" — The accusers formed from my sins pursued me and overtook me. "so that I am not able to look up" — for my eyes grew dim from the troubles. "and my heart has failed me" — the courage of my heart departed from me.
Metzudat Zion
'Have compassed' (afefu) — surrounded, as in 'the cords of death compassed me' (above, Psalm 18). 'Have overtaken' (atzemu) — an expression of multitude.
Malbim
"For [evils] have encompassed [me]" — at the time that innumerable evils encompassed me, the cause of this was that "my iniquities overtook me" — for it was through my iniquities that the evils came upon me, as it is said, "It is not the serpent that kills, but sin that kills." Yet I "was not able to see" — my eyes were shut from seeing that it was iniquity that was chastising me. And although my iniquities "were more numerous than the hairs of my head," and were so many that it was fitting for me to see and discern this, nevertheless "my heart forsook me," and I was unable to discern, with the discernment of the heart, that the evils had come upon me through my many iniquities.
Be pleased, O Hashem, to deliver me; O Hashem, make haste to help me.
verse value 1608
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "be·pleased" (רְצֵ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·deliver·me" (לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "be·pleased" (רְצֵ֣ה). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "to·deliver·me" (root נצל, 44x in Psalms). First appearance of the root רצה ("be·pleased") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·deliver·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: רְצֵ֣ה [be·pleased] (295) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי [to·deliver·me] (225) + יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי [to·my·help] (717) + חֽוּשָׁה [make·haste] (319) = 1608.
Ibn Ezra
'Be pleased ... hasten to my help' [לעזרתי חושה] — [meaning] to be my help; or it is a noun form, like 'to help me' [לעזרני].
Radak
"Be pleased, Hashem" — may it be "Your pleasure" "to deliver me" — continually, from every trouble and mishap that might befall me. "Hashem, hasten to my help" — that You hasten "to my help."
Metzudat David
"Be pleased" — And when You are willing, there is no one who can prevent Your hand.
Malbim
"Be pleased, Hashem" — that You be pleased and reconciled concerning my sin, and come "to deliver me" from those who come to kill me; and likewise, Hashem, "hasten to my help" against the other evils of the time.
Let them be ashamed and abashed together who seek after my soul to sweep it away; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion who delight in my hurt.
verse value 3397
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "together" (יַחַד֮, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·let·them·be·abashed" (וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "to·sweep·it·away" (לִסְפּ֫וֹתָ֥הּ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "my·hurt" (root רע, 53x in Psalms); "let·them·be·ashamed" (root בוש, 36x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·let·them·be·humiliated', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 2 words. Full calculation: יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ [let·them·be·ashamed] (318) + וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ [and·let·them·be·abashed] (310) + יַחַד֮ [together] (22) + מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י [who·seek] (452) + נַפְשִׁ֗י [my·soul] (440) + לִסְפּ֫וֹתָ֥הּ [to·sweep·it·away] (581) + יִסֹּ֣גוּ [let·them·turn] (79) + אָ֭חוֹר [backward] (215) + וְיִכָּלְמ֑וּ [and·let·them·be·humiliated] (112) + חֲ֝פֵצֵ֗י [who·delight·in] (188) + רָעָתִֽי [my·hurt] (680) = 3397.
Rashi
"to destroy it" — Heb. לספותה, to destroy it, as we translate (in Deut. 2:14): “until the entire generation...had vanished, עד דסף כל-דרא.
Ibn Ezra
'Let them be ashamed... to sweep it away' [לספותה] — like 'will You also sweep away' (Genesis 18:23).
Radak
"Let them be ashamed and disgraced together" — and by this let the enemies "be ashamed," "who seek my soul" — when they see that You are with me, and they have no power to harm me. And the word "to sweep it away" [lispotah] is like "to destroy it." And so: "Will You also sweep away [ha-af tispeh]" (Genesis 18:23). "Let them be turned back and confounded, who delight in my harm" —
Metzudat David
"Let them be ashamed" — when they see my deliverance. "let them be turned backward" — like a person who is ashamed and turns back on his heels.
Metzudat Zion
'To sweep it away' (lisfotah) — to destroy it, as in 'the beasts are swept away' (Jeremiah 12). 'Be turned backward' (yisogu achor) — they shall turn back.
Malbim
"Let them be ashamed" — so that through this those who seek my life to kill me will be ashamed; and also "let those who desire my hurt be turned backward" — these are those who hate me in secret, who, although they do not actually come to seek my life, nonetheless desire my harm.
Let them be appalled by reason of their shame who say to me: 'Aha, aha.'
verse value 1734
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֝֗י, 2 letters) and the longest is "who·say" (הָאֹמְרִ֥ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: aha!, aha!. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "let·them·be·appalled" (יָ֭שֹׁמּוּ). The root האח appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who·say" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms); "to·me" (root לי, 68x in Psalms). First appearance of the root שמם ("let·them·be·appalled") in Psalms. First appearance of the root בשת ("their·shame") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·shame', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: יָ֭שֹׁמּוּ [let·them·be·appalled] (356) + עַל־עֵ֣קֶב [because·of] (272) + בׇּשְׁתָּ֑ם [their·shame] (742) + הָאֹמְרִ֥ים [who·say] (296) + לִ֝֗י [to·me] (40) + הֶ֘אָ֥ח [aha!] (14) + הֶאָֽח [aha!] (14) = 1734.
Rashi
"may they be bewildered" — [as translated,] may they be bewildered. "afterwards because of their shame" — Heb. על-עקב. When they receive their shame in the wake of everything [they have done], in the measure that they measured out and in the way they walked against Me. עקב is like (below 77: 20): “and your steps (ועקבותיך) were not known”; (Song 1:8), “go your way in the footsteps of (בעקבי) the flocks.” They are all an expression of footsteps, in French traces, footprints on the heel. "those who say about me, “Aha! Aha!”" — Those who say about me and for me, “Aha!” When trouble comes, they pray for our misfortune.
Ibn Ezra
'Let them be appalled' [ישומו] — they will be appalled, in the end, on account of the shame they intended for me. And some say: [it is] in the sense of reward, like 'forever, [for] a reward' (Psalm 119:112); and thus their shame [is explained] according to two interpretations, though its grammatical form is one.
Radak
"Let them be desolate" — may they have "desolation" "as the consequence of their shame" — as the reward of "their shame," for they were shaming me in my time of trouble. "Ekev" ["consequence"] means: reward, as in: "Because [ekev] you shall listen" (Deuteronomy 7:12); "because [ekev] you have despised Me" (II Samuel 12:10). "Who say to me, 'Aha, aha'" — "who say" concerning me, "Aha, aha": [an expression of] joy, joy. And so: "Aha, aha, our eye has seen it" (Psalms 35:21).
Metzudat David
"Let them be appalled" — They shall be desolate as a recompense for their shame — for shaming me and saying of me, "Aha," and rejoicing at my distress.
Metzudat Zion
'Be appalled' (yeshomu) — a term of desolation. 'Heel' (ekev) — an expression of reward and recompense, as in 'because you shall listen' (Deuteronomy 7:12). 'Aha' (he'ach) — this is an expression of joy.
Malbim
"Let them be desolate" — and also those who shame me by spreading false slander about me, who say, "Aha, aha, our eye has seen it" (as above, 35:21) — "let them be desolate because of their shame" of putting me to shame.
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let such as love Your salvation say continually: 'Hashem be magnified.'
verse value 3538
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·You" (בְּךָ֗, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·who·seek·You" (כׇּֽל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ, 8 letters). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "let·them·say" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms); "and·let·them·be·glad" (root שמח, 55x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: יָ֘שִׂ֤ישׂוּ [let·them·exult] (626) + וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ [and·let·them·be·glad] (370) + בְּךָ֗ [in·You] (22) + כׇּֽל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ [all·who·seek·You] (522) + יֹאמְר֣וּ [let·them·say] (257) + תָ֭מִיד [continually] (454) + יִגְדַּ֣ל [be·magnified] (47) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + אֹ֝הֲבֵ֗י [who·love] (18) + תְּשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ [Your·salvation] (1196) = 3538.
Ibn Ezra
'Let them rejoice' [ישישו] — this is the sense of 'I have proclaimed righteousness' [v.10].
Radak
"Let them exult and rejoice in You" — the enemies "shall be desolate," but "all who seek You" "shall rejoice." "Let them say continually, 'Hashem is great'" — and the meaning of "is great" [yigdal] is that, by His performing wonders for His devoted ones, His name "becomes great" in the world, and everyone says: He is "great" and does wonders. "Who love Your salvation" — and "those who seek You" are the ones "who love" "Your salvation," in that they do not "seek salvation" and help from another.
Metzudat David
"in You" — in Your salvation. "those who love [Your salvation]" — Those who love that salvation should come to them through You will always say, "Let Hashem be magnified" — that is, salvation will come to them, and they will praise Hashem.
Malbim
"Let all who seek You be jubilant and rejoice in You" — inasmuch as they see that You save those who trust in You. And he says that there is a difference between one who seeks Hashem and one who seeks some other end: one who seeks some other end does not rejoice through the seeking itself, but only if he sought and found the thing he sought; but in You, even those who [merely] seek You rejoice, for the seeking itself is the end, and it is the attainment of the thing sought, as it says, "Let the heart of those who seek Hashem rejoice." "And let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Let Hashem be magnified'" — for one who does not love the salvation itself, but only the outcome that grows out of the salvation, namely that through the salvation he escapes distress, such a person will not [truly] seek the salvation, for he would rather that the distress had never reached him at all and that he had never needed salvation. But those who want and love the salvation itself, inasmuch as through the salvation the Name of Hashem is sanctified, want to be always in need of salvation, so that through this Hashem may always be magnified and His Name sanctified; and they want to be always in need of salvation in order to magnify the Name of Hashem thereby.
But, as for me, who am poor and needy, the Lord will account it to me; You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, tarry not.
verse value 2651
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "poor" (עָנִ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·needy" (וְאֶבְיוֹן֮, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "will·account·to·me" (יַחֲשׇׁ֫ב־לִ֥י). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms); "but·I" (root אני, 64x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'You', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַאֲנִ֤י [but·I] (67) + עָנִ֣י [poor] (130) + וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ [and·needy] (75) + אֲדֹנָ֢י [Lord] (65) + יַחֲשׇׁ֫ב־לִ֥י [will·account·to·me] (360) + עֶזְרָתִ֣י [my·help] (687) + וּמְפַלְטִ֣י [and·my·deliverer] (175) + אַ֑תָּה [You] (406) + אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י [my·God] (46) + אַל־תְּאַחַֽר [do·not·tarry] (640) = 2651.
Rashi
"poor" — Every expression of poor and needy in Psalms refers only to Israel. "may...think of me" — Heb יחשב. May He pay heed to me to think of my poverty and neediness, to save me. Pensa in French, to think.
Ibn Ezra
'As for me' — I consider myself: that I am poor and needy, and I am not able to stand before my enemies. 'Hashem will account it to me' [יחשב לי] — this [refers to], and the sense is, the lowliness of my heart; or 'li' [to me] in place of 'for my sake,' like 'who fights for you' (Deuteronomy 3:22). 'Do not delay' [אל תאחר] — it is an intransitive verb, like 'why do they delay' (Judges 5:28).
Radak
'But I am poor and needy' — even though David was a king, 'poor and needy' describes a human being, in that he greatly needs the help of God, may He be blessed, and His deliverance, always. 'The Lord will account it to me; You are my help and my deliverer' — [meaning] He will account it: to do good 'to me,' and to 'help' me, and to 'rescue' me, in time of trouble. And I have already explained 'He will account it to me' in the comment on the word 'Your thoughts' (verse 6). Or the interpretation of 'He will account it to me' is: my poverty, in which I am, serves as atonement for 'my sins.' Or its meaning is related to the sense of 'no man is accounted of' (Isaiah 33:5) — meaning: that I should be considered significant and good in Your eyes. 'My God, do not delay' — for You will save me at once, as it says (verse 14): 'Hasten to my help.'
Metzudat David
"poor and needy" — I humble myself before You like a poor and needy person, and Hashem will reckon this humbling to me as a merit. "tarry not" — in bringing the salvation.
Metzudat Zion
'And needy' (ve'evyon) — he is poor from want, for he longs for everything, since everything is withheld from him. 'Tarry' (te'acher) — from the language of delay and waiting.
Malbim
"But as for me" — meaning, I am always in need of salvation, "for Hashem regards me" as one who is "poor and needy," and I have nothing of my own except what I attain through the salvation of Hashem; for only "You are my help and my deliverer" — for I am always pursued by my enemies, and I am poor and weak in strength against them, with only You as my help and my deliverer from their hand; therefore, "my God, do not delay" the time needed for salvation, for of myself I am very destitute.
Radak
Malbim